


Rather be the hunter than the prey

by vrskaandrea



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Hidden Talents, Hunters & Hunting, Inspired by an Imagine Dragons Song, London, Men of Letters British Branch (Supernatural), Monsters, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot Twists, Plothole Fill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29137143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vrskaandrea/pseuds/vrskaandrea
Summary: The story takes place in S14E15Peace of Mind, only instead of Dean, Cas is the one to take Jack to Donatello to try and find out if he still has his soul. Sam and Dean take on a simple salt and burn where they meet up with Ketch. Upon their return, they are welcomed by a sight that has Sam experiencing Deja vu. Forgotten plotlines.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 6





	1. Unnatural

**Author's Note:**

> As you could see from the summary, this story will deal with some forgotten plotlines, mainly the remains of the British Men of Letters, with a side of Michael monsters and a surprise from way back in Season 4. It is also highly inspired by a bunch of Imagine Dragons songs, and they will be featured in this story. Hope you enjoy.

_Somewhere in Siberian forest:_

A big ax shifted up in the air before the colossal hand that was holding it forced it down on a piece of firewood, instantly splitting it in half. The man, big as a bear and by the looks of it, wearing one too, snapped his head up and looked around, his brows furrowing into a deep frown. He scoffed, then rolled his eyes, promptly going back to work.

It was hours later that he finally finished and stacked his chopped wood in a basket, ready to take it into his cabin. Just at the door, he paused, then smirked as he opened the door. "Why don't you come inside for a glass of Stolichnaya. Wouldn't want you to freeze your pretty little ass." He said, his voice laced with heavy Russian accent, then entered the cabin, leaving the door open.

"You always had a good hearing, darling." A woman said, sounding British as she entered his home. She had a winter suit with a military camouflage pattern in blue shades, her dark brown hair in one long braid, her dark brown eyes scanning the space.

"A good nose too. I could smell you from a mile away." He made a comment that strangely wasn't aiming to offend, but rather warn. "Here. This smells much better." He said gruffly and handed her a glass of vodka. She sniffed it before taking a swing, downing it all.

"Ah. That felt wonderful. Thank you." She said as she set the glass down on the table.

"Why are you here, Lara?"

"We need you, Boris."

"I am retired. And even if I wasn't, I sure as hell wouldn't side in with those svo-lochi." (Russian: scum, trash).

"Hess is dead." Lara replied, and that certainly got the man's attention. "We are under new management. And we _really_ need your help."

* * *

_Two days later:_

"Good evening, gentleman." A British voice made all three men snap their heads up, Sam drawing in a sharp breath, Dean taking a buffed up stance and Ketch almost hiding behind them. They have just gotten to the bunker after a simple salt and burn where they ran into Ketch and allowed him to spend the night. Both Winchesters drew their firearms, and aimed it straight for the woman in front of them.

Unlike Lady Bevell, who basically ambushed Sam, this woman seemed a bit more different. Her dark brown hair was tied in a loose braid and she had olive green trousers, a plain light green shirt and a matching jacket, her entire look screaming outdoors jungle. Immediately, she raised her hands, showing off two guns under her jacket in the process, but making no attempt at reaching them.

"I assure you, I come in peace." She said with a cunning smile.

"And in the words of Jack Caine: Then you go in pieces, asshole." Dean shouted and made the woman huff a laugh.

"Good one, Dean. I was told you were the funny one... They did not say you were this handsome thought..." The woman said and no, Dean did not react to her flirtation, not at all. No that little blush had nothing to do with it.

"Who are you?!" Sam demanded and drew the woman's attention.

"Ah, yes. How rude of me. My name is Lara Wesson, and I am... A woman of Letters. The British chapter requires your assistance, so I have come here to _politely_ ask for it." The woman, Lara said, her voice laced with such resolve that Dean just had to snort a laughter.

"And why the hell should we even consider helping those douchebags?" He questioned, completely forgetting to keep her at gunpoint, instead crossing his hands across his chest. At least Sam still had common sense to keep his gun trained at Lara.

"England has been monster free for decades, maybe even a century. Until a few months ago when grace-enhanced monstrosities started washing up on our shore, completely undetected by the monster radar. They have spread rapidly and with the organization mostly diminished - thanks to you lot - Europe will soon be overrun by them. So I would say, all things factored in, that you should really consider assisting us with this matter." Lara explained sounding much more scolding then before, but finished with a wide smile that was unbecoming of this situation. The guys shared a look and dropped their guard, but only by little.

"What do you need from us?" Sam asked, still highly wary of the woman.

"Come to London. Help rebuild the Men of Letters. Show us a few tricks then go back to whatever it is that you do."

"And the British chapter is willing to overlook what happened the last time we teamed up? They are willing to forget we killed most of them?" Sam questioned, and to the point, how would they know it wasn't a trap?

"None left to remember. The old guard is dead." Lara replied.

"Pfff. And we're just supposed to believe that?! We're suppose to trust you?" Dean huffed, suddenly feeling nervous under the woman's gaze. There was something about her, but what, Dean couldn't tell.

"Arthur there could vouch for me. Or is it Alexander these days?" Lara mocked nudging her head in Ketch's direction, who was still standing back and to the side, not letting out a single sound before Lara drew attention to him. She grinned at him, then walked away deeper into the library, but still in their line of sight, leaving them to discuss her request.

"What's her deal?" Dean immediately asked, looking over at the former Men of Letters. Ketch frowned, taking a deep breath. There was so much about her, he had no idea where to start.

"Lara is, well... Complicated, to say the least. But she is correct, I can vouch for her. She would not be caught dead with the Men of Letters, unless things have changed drastically. She's a runaway, like me."

"Would something like the Michael monsters be enough to make her come back to the organization?" Sam questioned. The British Men of Letters as they were two years ago wouldn't have much of a problem with enhanced vampires, so it was reasonable he was doubting her words.

"No. She would not risk getting caught and being used again, not for this." Ketch replied deep in thought. They must all really be gone for her to come back.

"What do you mean, used? Was she brainwashed?" Dean asked. Ketch sighed. He didn't really want to reveal much about who Lara was, or what her purpose was, not because he thought it was wise to keep secrets from the Winchesters, but because he thought they wouldn't agree to come if he told them the truth. Still, he did not wish to lie to them, so... Half-truth it is.

"Something like that. She was a part of an experiment of some kind, and they really hurt her. If she came back, then the situation must be serious." Ketch said and waited to see if the guys would question it more. Lucky for him, Dean had other things in mind.

"I think we should go. We should find out who is running things now and if they are going to be a problem for us." He said, sounding too mature for himself, sounding like something Sam would say. But the truth was, Dean was interested in this woman. There was just something about her that kept drawing him in, and it disturbed him. He needed to learn more about her.

"I agree." Sam said. "I don't want another war like last time. Maybe we could mend the bridges, if the people in charge are reasonable. I'll go get ready, you call Cas and let him know. Ketch?"

"Oh, I am coming along as well. I need to see who is running the shots now." Ketch replied and stayed to watch after Lara while the guys went to get ready. He might have tried to get more information out of her, but she just smirked at him and kept her mouth shut.

* * *

Dean looked extremely pale as he took deep breaths, the ground underneath his feet shaking... Well, not the ground, the plane's floor, but who cared about semantics. At least they were landing.

A soft hand settled on top of his, drawing his attention to Lara. They have decided that one of them should sit with her, each Winchester getting his own renegade to look after, and since Ketch knew Dean didn't do well with planes and height and flying, he sat down next to Sam, flashing him a smile. Sam just shrugged and pulled out his laptop.

Lara rolled her eyes when she saw she was seated next to Dean, but kept her face perfectly void of any emotions for most of the flight. Except when Dean first started panicking at liftoff. She raised a brow, slight surprise in her expression, but other then that nothing else. Until they were landing and Dean started panicking again. She placed a hand over his, and felt his grip on the seat relax, like she was grounding him. Dean glanced at her, but she refused to make eye contact or even acknowledge what she had done, and it worked for Dean too. Nobody will ever mention it. Again.

"So, were is our chauffeur?" Ketch asked looking around as they exited the plane, and Lara snorted a laugh.

"You wish, darling. Budget cuts."

"Then how are we supposed to get to the headquarters, a taxi?" Ketch asked looking appalled.

"As far as I'm concerned, Arthur, you can take the public transport." Lara scoffed, an annoyed expression on her face as they walked out of the Heathrow airport. Somewhere to their left an engine roared thunderously, snapping their attention to the big red monster truck taking up three parking spaces and half of the road.

"No. No, it can't be..." Ketch said and watched with wide eyes as a big man climbed out of the truck and walked towards them. He had thick brows and a long gruff beard, an angry expression, mixed with a cold stance, and he looked really scary. Especially once he reached them and Sam had to look up to meet his eyes.

"Gentleman, this is Mr Boris Kalashnikov, one of the old new agents, like me. Since my car seats only two, he has agreed to come pick you up. I'll see you at HQ, have fun, lads." Lara said and walked away towards the parking lots, leaving the guys at a mercy of a 7 feet tall giant. Even Sam felt a little uncomfortable by his appearance.

"So..." Sam huffed a nervous smile. "Your name is Kalashnikov?" He asked, immediately regretting it, he didn't mean for it to sound like he was mocking the man. Boris huffed a small growl as his big dark eyes bore into Sam.

"Kalashnikov. Beats a Winchester anytime." He responded in a heavy Russian accent and surely he meant the guns, right? Sam could at least hope. Dean actually tried to hide his laughter, it wasn't often that Sam found himself in these awkward situations. Mostly it was Dean's job.

The big guy lead them to his truck and from a distance, it looked really cool, but when they came close, they could see it was quite big, high. Dean suddenly felt uncomfortable and he delayed getting in for as long as he could, allowing Sam and Ketch to climb on first. He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves and just at that moment a gorgeous white Maserati Diablo swayed around the corner and stopped right next to him. The window rolled down and Lara peeked from the inside with a wicked smile.

"Need a lift, handsome?" She said, her British accent sending a shiver down Dean's bones and he honestly couldn't tell if it was the good kind or not. But he didn't want to ride in that high metal cage, not so soon after being on a plane. This had nothing to do with Lara or the attraction he felt, na-huh.

Dean waved his brother who rolled his eyes at him and probably made a comment, but Dean couldn't hear him. He was already in the car and grinning at Lara, trying to take a peak at the dashboard and see how fast the car could go.

* * *

Dean told himself he needed to learn more about this woman, and why did he feel so different when he was around her?

As soon as they were out of the crowded city streets and into the open road, Lara pushed down on the gas pedal and leaned to put on some music. Dean frowned at a very annoying melody and rolled his eyes when the lyrics "I've got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire..." came, grunting.

"Not a Katy Perry fan I presume?" Lara threw him an amused glance before focusing on the road ahead.

"No." Dean replied, not wanting to elaborate much but suddenly felt the need to do it anyway. "I don't understand this new age thing. It is all either feelings or they are copying the classics." He said making his point as Katy sang the verse " _eye of the tiger_ " once again. "Most of the time I have no idea what they are talking about." Dean muttered, shaking his head.

"They're not all that bad." Lara replied and he just gave her an annoyed glare before looking away. The song ended and the anchorman announce a new song, making Lara hum. Dean turned his questioning look at her, making her huff a laugh. "Some of these songs... The lyrics mean what you want them or need them to mean. Take this next one. It can totally be about hunting and humans stuck between angels and demons... But it can also be about a person, someone like you or me maybe. Listen to it..."

Will you hold the line?  
When every one of them has given up and given in, tell me  
In this house of mine  
Nothing ever comes without a consequence or cost, tell me  
Will the stars align?  
Will heaven step in will it save us from our sin, will it?  
'Cause this house of mine stands strong...  
That's the price you pay  
Leave behind your heart and cast away  
Just another product of today  
Rather be the hunter than the prey...

And surely, Dean could see some valid questions raised, especially with the mention of Heaven and their earlier misinterpretation of angels as the merciful good guys. The price they paid, leaving their hearts behind so many times to be the hunters rather then the prey, it made sense. But then the song changed, the sudden loud volume making Dean flinch as Lara started to sing along.

"'Cause you're unnatural, beating heart of stone, you gotta be so cold to make it in this world... Yeah, you're unnatural, living your life cutthroat, you gotta be so cold, yeah, you're unnatural..."

"I'm pretty sure he is saying _you're a natural_." Dean commented and as the song went along, Lara just turned and smiled at him.

"What makes you so sure?" She said, her voice ominous as she kept her eyes on Dean while making a perfect left turn, following the curve of the road. The air in the car grew thicker for a moment as their eyes remained locked to one another, but the feeling dispersed as soon as she broke eye contact. Lara turn her eyes back on the road and continue to sing, leaving Dean to wonder if this was about the misheard lyrics or something much worse.

"Deep inside me, I'm fading to black, I'm fading. Took an oath by the blood on my hand won't break it. I can taste it the end is upon us I swear... Gonna make it... I'm gonna make it..."

Natural  
A beating heart of stone  
You gotta be so cold  
To make it in this world  
Yeah, you're a natural  
Living your life cutthroat  
You gotta be so cold  
Yeah, you're a natural

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, who wants to take a guess as to what Lara really is? Blondie might already know, so don't go revealing it in the comments. Lol. I look forward to your answers and yourthoughts in the story.


	2. It's where my demons hide

The scenery around them slowly changed as they left London and approached what seem to be a very wealthy neighbourhood. But unlike the American Beverly Hills, here each household were surrounded by acres of land and tall hedges. Just as Lara came up to the gate, it opened and allowed them entrance.

Long paved road led up to a mansion, in front of which there was a big garden and a fountain with a statue of a Fish. Dean made a face at it all as they drove up to the house. He had expected shipping containers or maybe a remodeled warehouse as the headquarters, not a fancy place like this. Lara parked the car in front of the main entrance and as they got out of the car, a roar of a monster truck echoed. Dean turned to see the red monstrosity plowing through the grass, too big to fit the paved road.

Once they were all out of the cars, Dean took another look around. Sam seemed a bit shaken, but when Dean glanced at him, he shook his head, then darted around with his eyes, then nodded, a silent conversation between them confirming he was seeing the same.

"No security?" Dean questioned.

"No need for any. The place is under a few spells to keep the monsters away and there are also a whole lot of cameras, watching every millimetre of the place. One wrong move and..." Lara said, then threw a pebble at the fountain. A machine gun shot out of the ground, firing ten rounds at the incoming pebble before it even hit the statue, then retreated into it's hiding place. Sam and Dean exchanged wide eyed glances, both suddenly feeling uncomfortable to say the least.

"Do not worry. It is man operated, wouldn't mistake you for a pebble." Lara said with a smirk. "Come on. Let's get inside."

"What is this place?" Ketch questioned and Sam and Dean gave him a curious glance. So the former Men of Letters had never been here, that was interesting. Lara turned back to him, still sporting that smirk and raised an amused brow, probably interested to see the man's reaction.

"Welcome... To the Croft Manor."

"Seriously? Now you're gonna tell us Tomb Raider is real, and that you're secretly Angelina Jolie?" Dean snorted and crossed his hands. Her name did fit and he had seen weirder things, but come on...

"Please. I am so much more hotter then her. No, it is a sort of an inside joke. Arthur knows about it, don't you, Arthur?" Lara said and glanced at the man, giving him an undescribable look. Ketch nodded, not letting anyone see just how amazed he was. "No, the place has a lot of similarities with the Croft Manor, including a training track, indoor pool, gym... So if the cap fits..." She trailed off, then turned to walk the small oath and a few steps up to the door.

"Watch your step now." She commented as she walked past a very small devil's trap and over a few other symbols some of which neither of the boys recognized. Nothing happen as they walked over them, so they guessed they only activated once someone not human stepped on them. Lucky they were all human, right?

The doors opened up to a small archway that lead to a huge open space with a library, fireplace, a living room, and staircase to the upper level which was also visible from the center room. Just like the real Croft Manor.

Sam and Dean would have been impressed if they weren't immediately surrounded but five agents, guns in hand and held high. Yup, walked right into that trap.

"What is this?" Sam demanded as Boris just slipped past them and plopped down on a couch. An older looking guy approached, carrying a tray with a couple of glasses on it, and offered one to Boris who kindly accepted and Dean would have really had a field day with the fact there was an actual butler here, if he wasn't held at gunpoint right now.

Not that any of the guns was pointing at him. Or Sam for that matter. They seemed to be...

"Hm... Guess that's what happens when you murder the director of operations." Lara made a comment with a small shrug.

"What happens to us now?" Sam asked and Lara frowned at him for a moment before she realized what he was referring to.

"Oh, they're not here for you. You're free to move about." She said and nudged her her towards the couches and chairs in the middle of the room before turning and heading in their direction. The guys exchanged a look, then glanced back at Ketch, who was the only one with his hands up in the air, looking concerned. "Don't worry, lads. He'll be fine. The director probably just wants to talk to him." Lara added and Ketch nodded at them.

The guys took another look at the agents around them and slowly moved out of the circle, still somehow surprised that the agents didn't even flinch. Once they were out of the way, one tall blond guy broke away, his gun still trained at Ketch as he lead him away.

Sam and Dean sat at the free couch while Lara plopped down next to Boris, making the man grunt at her. She gave him one of her cute smiles and took a Scotch out of the butler's tray. Sam and Dean each picked up a whiskey and held it in their hands without sipping one drop.

"Thank you, Winston, that would be all for now." Lara said.

"Dinner will be at 7 o'clock, madam." Winston said and Lara nodded, after which the man retreated. Dean seemed to relax a bit at that idea, his stomach already feeling kind of empty, while Sam looked more guarded then ever.

Lara said Ketch killed the director of operations, and to Sam, it just didn't add up. Ketch couldn't have done that before the American hunters, lead by Sam and Mary, took down their base of operations in the States. He couldn't have done during that time, because he was still somewhat on their side, and by the time he switched, there wasn't anyone left to kill. On US soil, anyway. Could have happened much after, only Ketch claimed he could never step foot in the UK.

They didn't think he killed Hess, did they?

"Who exactly did Ketch kill?" Sam asked. Both he and Dean remained calm, already scanned for exits and hidden machine guns m, the works. Both knew it would be pretty hard to get out of there if they needed to, but not impossible.

"Who didn't he kill?" Lara grinned, even if she knew what Sam was actually asking. He was just about to correct his question when Lara spoke up. "I wasn't talking about Hess, if that is what you're wondering. We all know who murdered her..." She said with a certain tone that had a hunt of danger to it, like she knew he was about to get fried for what he did, but then she huffed a smile, showing she was only joking.

"Don't worry, we won't hold it against you. Not like any of us fancied her... Oh, I wish I had been there, to see her perish." Lara said, and yeah, there was definitely more to that story, but that was for another time.

"If you weren't talking about Hess, then who?" Sam kept pushing.

"The current director of operations, of course." Lara said, her answer annoying the shit out of Sam because it still wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"Wait a minute. How can he, or she, be the current director if Ketch killed him, or her?" Dean asked in his highly intelligent way.

"Ah, like you haven't died once or twice before." Lara said with a hint of amusement that once again, answered nothing. Before any one of them could speak up again, Winston popped up and announced that the director was ready to see them now.

They all stood up and followed Lara as she lead them down the corridor, right from the main entrance. They took a left turn, then another, passing a few unmarked doors along the way. Just as they turned the last corner they saw an open door straight up ahead, and Ketch, sitting in one of the armchairs, looking... Regretful? He glanced up at them as they approached, but his expression said nothing about what was awaiting them.

Entering the room, both Sam and Dean looked to their right, the way Ketch was facing and frowned in surprise. "Mick?"

"Hello, lads." Mick Davies said with a tired smile as he glanced over the guys before his slightly scolding eyes fell on Lara.

"What? You said to go and get some help, find new recruits. They are the best of the best." Lara said with a shrug and Mick shook his head at her, before turning back to the Winchesters.

"Please, take a seat." He offered and both Sam and Dean accepted, looking back at him with so many questions. "As you know now, I am the new director of operations in the Men of Letters and I welcome you to our ranks without any... Bad blood."

"We thought Ketch killed you, what happened?" Sam shot out.

"He did. I was... Shipped back here and after the whole debacle with purifying the States from American hunters, I was... Revived. To report. So that they could figure out what went wrong." Mick explained and glanced at Lara.

"I willingly told them the truth. That you Americans hunt with you heart, not your mind. Not everything supernatural is a monster and not all monsters are supernatural." Mick said still looking back at the woman.

"But... In the end, it didn't matter. Apparently, Dr. Hess made a deal with a demon and once she died, the whole organization fell apart. The accounts were drained, some of very powerful artifacts went missing and we... We were overrun.

"Then on May 18, 2017, two years ago, something happened on your side. Something that made the demons run back to your side of the puddle. I don't suppose you know what it was?" Mick asked and smiled when the boys exchanged glances. That was the date Jack was born.

"We don't have the resources anymore to know everything, but I suppose it could be the nephilim we discussed. And I take it you took care of it. You are the best of the best..." Mick trailed off, paused for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Well, I do hope you agree to help us with these... Grace infused monsters. We are outnumbered, outgunned and outmatched." Mick finally said and both guys nodded. "Excellent. Is there anything you can tell us about them?"

The five of them spent an hour retelling what they new about the monsters, Sam and Dean elaborating on who's grace they actually had, and the whole story behind that, with a fact that decapitation usually did the trick with them. They also said that they believed all of these monsters were put down.

Mick shared that angel killing bullets coated with silver shot directly to the head of an enhanced werewolf also did the trick, while the same bullets, dipped in deadman's blood could slow down an enhanced vampire.

The boys eventually agreed to stay and help gather intel and fight and hunt whatever needs to be hunted, at least until Mick could gather up some of the old guard, the people he could trust. When the guys asked him about Ketch, he told them he had forgiven him and would allow Ketch an opportunity to prove himself, prove that he wasn't the mindless soldier Mick's predecessors made him become.

They were assigned rooms in the manor - Sam and Dean's with adjacent doors, right across the street from Lara's and Boris's. Ketch packed up and left, going on to hunt for new recruits and old friends.

* * *

It took the whole three days for Dean to get bored. Sure, that mansion was cool, and he took advantage of the swimming pool more then once, best one being when Lara joined him. She was hot and was quite a sight to behold when she made that 15 feet swan dive from a diving board.

Sam was engrossed in the huge library the mansion had, with all the volumes of forgotten lore and was even able to befriend Boris who was - listen to this - a computer wiz. It was funny as hell watching the man type with those colossal fingers of his, but damn, he was nearly as good as Charlie. Considering his appearance, Dean would have never guessed Boris was a nerd like Sam.

Still, even with the pool and a home cinema (Black Widow looks so hot on the huge screen), it got old fast. Dean itched to go out and kill some monsters.

He was just on his way to see Mick and ask him for any news when he overheard him and Lara talk about a possible case. He stormed the room, and they were sure he would throw a tamper tantrum if they didn't let him tag along.

Sam didn't like it, especially the fact that Dean was heading out with Lara. There was just something about her that didn't sit well with Sam, but he couldn't put his finger on it, nor could he find anything about her as a test subject in the Men of Letters archives. Whenever he tried talking to Mick about it, either Lara popped up in the room or Mick tried to evade the answer. Maybe now, with her out of the house, Sam could confront him about it?

"I am going to get Mick to tell me about Lara." Sam proclaimed as he watched Dean pack.

"Fine. I still think that she was brainwashed and maybe tortured, and who would want to talk about that? She seems cool, so I don't see a point in opening that can of worms." Dean replied.

"I don't trust her, Dean." Sam said and yeah, Dean should agree. He didn't know her and he shouldn't trust her, yet something deep inside of him stirred whenever he thought about her. It wasn't infatuation, no, Dean would recognize that feeling. No this was different, heavier. Darker. He was sure it wasn't any kind of a spell, Sam already checked them both for that and he had that anti-spells hex bag, so it wasn't that.

"I don't trust anyone." Dean said in a generalization. "But I gotta get out of here. We took this gig to kill the monsters Michael created, the monsters I helped create. And I can't just sit around and do nothing while a few of them terrorize a town." Dean explained, playing the guilt card. He didn't really like to think about that part of his life, but if it got Sam to shut up and let him leave, then he would sure as hell use it.

"Fine. Just be careful. I just... I would feel better if I knew you had back up we could trust." Sam said in defeat.

"I don't think she went out of her way to bring us here and get us to help take these sons of bitches down if she wasn't playing for out team. But yeah, I know. I'll be careful." Dean said and patted his brother on the back before heading out the door.

Lara was waiting outside, leaning against her Maserati, wearing jeans, a dark red top and a letter jacket. The aviators looked good on her, but she took them off to stare Dean down. She didn't like that he tagged along and she expressed it so back in Mick's office. Dean grinned up at her and she rolled her eyes before turning to enter her car.

"Just try and keep up, all right?" She made a comment, sighed and then added "And don't be surprised by my fighting skills, I know martial arts."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side then." Dean joked, but it was strange the way she said it. She gave him an unamused glance, but said nothing as she drove them through the gates and towards the North.

A strange sense of sadness washed over Dean as he kept staring at Lara, along with a feeling like there is something more there, something he wasn't seeing. The bigger picture, or a small detail, he didn't know.

"What happened to you?" He asked, surprising himself with the question. Not just for allowing it to slip past his lips, but also because he almost made it sound like he knew her before. Before whatever happened, happened. Lara didn't even look at him, or acknowledge the question, instead she leaned and turned on the radio.

The announcer just read a few ads before saying that next up was a song by Imagine Dragons. It drew Dean's attention, because Lara seemed to like their other song before, and that one had a strange effect on him. This one spoke about cold days and gold saints and it didn't make a lick of sense. Until the next part came along...

"I want to hide the truth, I want to shelter you, but with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed. This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come..."

_Hide the truth? Beast inside? Shelter me?_ Dean considered the words.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide..."

_Don't get to close? What is she hiding?_

"Don't want to let you down, but I am hell bound, though this is all for you, don't want to hide the truth. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed, this is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come..."

_All for me? Let_ _me down?_

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide..."

Dean kept staring at Lara, as if she would tell him anything, but he knew well she wouldn't. He might be just imagining all of this, but his gut feeling told him otherwise.

There was definitely something more about Lara, something he could feel or relate to. Something about them. Oh, yes, he was a part of it too, he could feel it. He just had to find out what it was.

"They say it's what you make, I say it's up to fate, it's woven in my soul, I need to let you go.Your eyes, they shine so bright, I want to save that light...I can't escape this now, unless you show me how...

When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide..."


	3. Bad Liar

Just a young gun with a quick fuse

I was uptight, wanna let loose

I was dreaming of bigger things

And wanna leave my own life behind

Not a "Yes, sir," not a follower

Fit the box, fit the mold

Have a seat in the foyer, take a number

I was lightning before the thunder

Thunder, thunder

Thunder, thun-, thunder...

"Seriously? What is with you and these guys? I mean - ok, the previous songs were... Interesting. But this? I feel like I am in a lava lamp or something!" Dean protested Lara's music choices, but he couldn't really do anything about it, except complain.

"I'll admit, not one of my top favorites when it comes to Imagine Dragons, but you cannot tell me there isn't a line somewhere in these lyrics that you find yourself in. Or somebody you know?" Lara replied as she slowly took them of A214 turning right and onto A24, heading out of London.

"Nobody I know would even like this." Dean continued to complaint.

"Really? Not even Sam?" Lara asked with a raised brow and an amused smirk. "Because from what I heard, he certainly isn't a Yes-Sir kind of a man. Or am I mistaken?" 1

Dean shut up about the song. Lara was right, kind of, but Dean didn't like what it meant. No, Sam was not a Yes-Sir, not a follower, but Dean was once. And while Sam got to go and study at Stanford, Dean was left behind to follow his dad's lead. Still, after a few minutes the silence became deafening, so Dean changed the subject.

"So where are we headed? What's the case?"

"We are going to a ' _Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'_ resort... " Lara said and Dean busted out laughing, but Lara ignored him "... Almost every hotel in range had two of their guests die a gruesome death. Throat slashed and hearts removed, but the rooms were secondary crime scenes, primaries never found. It could be ritualistic, considering all of the deceased were couples, or it could be werewolves." Lara explained.

"Werewolves in London, huh?" Dean huffed a laugh, but Lara just gave him a sideways glance, her expression telling him she was not amused.

"You know, since you offered to tag along, I might as well use the situation. I wanted to go in as a Scotland Yard Inspector, but this way... We could go undercover."

"Undercover as what?" Dean asked with a frown. Lara smiled, looking more amused with a hint of something devilish in her eyes.

"Hello, and welcome to ' _Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel'_ , how may I help you?" The concierge asked, reminding Dean of that asshole receptionist in the Home Alone movie. Lara grinned at him widely, and grabbed Dean's hand, intertwining their fingers before she spoke up.

"Why, hello, there. Me and my boyfriend are looking for a place to spend a few nights. We just met over across the pond, and I just had to drag his perky little arse here and show him our natural beauties, if you know what I mean." Lara said with a wink and a cocky smile and if Dean wasn't good at pretending and keeping a straight face, he would have gawked at her. 

The concierge just gave a polite smile, checked them in, saying they had a cancellation, and both Dean and Lara knew why it was so. But they smiled, and pretended to be in love. The only time Dean broke character was when Lara said he would get the check, like a gentleman he was, and Dean became irritable, huffing and grunting, but Lara just laughed it off and kissed his cheek.

Some strange warmth spread across Dean's face, and to anyone it would look like a blush, but there was something else, he felt it deep down. It was a spark of... Something. He could feel the bond he had with her straighten and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He really should try and talk to her about this.

"I call dibs on the bed!" Dean shouted, clearly trying to use humor to hide behind. Truth was, he didn't really know what to think when it came to Lara, and he wasn't sure sharing a bed with her would help the situation.

"Fine. I'll take watch." Lara replied as she dumped her bag on the floor.

"Wait, what?"

"I will patrol, make sure..."

"No, I got that. I just... I thought..." Dean said looking confused. Whatever it was between them, he somehow figure she would try and deepen in, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized she was actually trying to keep her distance.

"What? You thought I would sleep with you?" Lara said, all her quirky smiles suddenly gone.

"No, I, ah..." Dean tried, but had no idea what to say.

"You what, Dean?" Lara asked when Dean didn't respond, staring back at him with a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Nothing. Nevermind. Wake me later." Dean said and practically ran into the bathroom. When he came out, Lara was sitting at the table, going though her phone, not glancing up at him at all. "Good night." Dean said after he laid down and Lara just hummed in response. He didn't think he would be able to fall asleep, but somehow the dreamland overtook him, taking him back to his Hell nightmares, only this time they weren't so scary. Since then he faced so many bigger, badder things, Alistair and his ministrations were a joke now. Heck, he had even been a level above the demon when he bore the mark. Dean himself had been much scarier then than Alistair could have ever been.

* * *

Dean woke up when the first rays of sunshine shone upon him, blinding him even if he had his eyes closed. He moved away, frowning, and blinked a few times to clear his vision.

"Good morning." Lara said, and Dean looked back at her only to find her in the exact same position she was in when he fell asleep. "I took the liberty of calling room service and I got you a full breakfast." She added and Dean's eyes slipped in the setting on the table.

There was a plate filled with bacon, two sausages, two eggs, and another filled with baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms, and toast. A cup of tea was to the side, creme and sugar next to it. 

"What is this?" Dean asked pointing to a slice of something he did not recognize.

"It's black pudding, made from pork blood and oatmeal." Lara said with an amused smile. She knew out of all the things on the plates, Dean would not eat that. Just as predicted, he made a face at it and moved it to the edge of the plate. He paused, looking over Lara, then sighed and started eating.

"You haven't slept all night?" He asked after a few minutes, strangely, not speaking with his mouth full.

"I did not."

"And breakfast?" Dean asked and Lara finally dropped her phone to look back at Dean. There was a look in her eyes that kind of asked if he wanted her to lie to him and say she already ate, so that they could keep pretending, because he knew she didn't eat any breakfast, nor did she need one either.

"I could take your black pudding." Suddenly she offered, an attempt to lighten the mood. Dean huffed a smile and nodded, but the air was still heavy between them.

The thing was - Dean was pretty sure she wasn't human, at least not completely. Ketch said she was experimented on, but with what? Whatever she was, she could easily pass as a human, not flaring any signals, not at the bunker, and not at the mansion.

Maybe she was a Jefferson Starship? Eve did create those things so that they could pass undetected, maybe one of them slipped away or was captured by the Brits? 

She also had a sort of a sixth sense, so maybe she was an angel? A really low-on-grace angel? Or maybe she has grace in her system?

If she had active powers, maybe she was like Sam? Fed with demon blood as a kid?

There was a long list of the things she could be, but Dean was leaning on her being an angel, because the only thing similar to what he was feeling towards her, was his connection to Cas. Maybe she was in his garrison? Maybe she was there when Cas pulled him out of hell? If so, what happened to her?

"Are you planning on finishing that today?" Lara asked bringing him out of his thoughts. "We have a case to wrap up, you know."

"What's the plan?" Dean asked stuffing his mouth with the last few bites of his sausage.

"To be seen. The Intel suggests that the previous couples were spotted in the nearest town and in the hiking trails on the reservation, so we're be doing both today." Lara said, making Dean frown.

"I gotta go hiking?" He said with such sorrow. in his tone, Lara just had to laugh.

"You are adorable. How about this? The town has this famous bakery and after we're done with out nature walk, we can go and get you a slice of our famous pie? There is this unbelievably delicious pie called Stargazy Pie, and I think you're going to love it."

"You had me at pie." Dean said and Lara smiled widely back at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

They walked the trail for about an hour when they decided to head back. It was when Dean decided he should try and learn more about Lara, but since he didn't know how to be subtle about it, he decided to take a direct approach.

"You, know... Ketch told us a bit about you." Dean started and Lara glanced back at him with a knowing smile.

"Really? I didn't think he was the type to kiss and tell." She replied, completely detailing Dean of the topic. Later Dean would figure it was intentional.

"Eww, seriously? You and Ketch?" Dean asked with a disgusted face.

"What can I say? We were on a long stake out mission and I got bored." She said sounding like that bitch Rachel in that movie _I spy_ with Eddie Murphy. Dean didn't know, but that was where Lara was getting her inspiration from. "Not my proudest moments, I'll admit." She added. "In fact... It wasn't one of his proudest moments either."

Dean couldn't stop laughing. The image of Ketch not being able to get it up, the pout and the complete horror on his face, it was priceless. Lara laughed too, and somehow the mood from this morning lightened up, the air between them not so thick anymore.

"Come on, let's get to Dorking so that you can get your pie." Lara said and Dean kept laughing, giving her a surprised face.

"Dorking? That the name of the place?"

"Oh, like you don't have funny town names in the States?" Lara said with a light shove of her hand against his shoulder.

"Not that I know of." Dean said through an amused smile.

"There is Why in Arizona and WhyNot in Mississippi. Best if all, there is a town called Boring in Oregon." Dean's eyes were watering from all the laughter.

"Oh, oh there is Zzyzx in California. And Deadhorse in Alaska!" Lara kept at it and Dean had to stop and bend, wrapping his hand around his stomach.

"Stop, stop alright. I get the point." He said and finally straightened. Lara was right next to him, a wide smile on her face too and something nice and sweet in her eyes. The moment turned into _a moment_ as Dean mapped out every curve of her face, ending at her full red lips.

"Um, we otta..." Lara started then cleared her throat. "We should hurry back." She said, nervously glancing around and not meeting Dean's stare. He snapped out of it and nodded, motioning for her to lead the way.

They got back to the hotel and took the car into town. Once again Dean laughed at the name of the restaurant they entered, _Queen's head_. The smile was wiped off his face when their orders came in, a look of complete betrayal forming in his eyes.

"Lara?"

"Huh?"

"Why are there fish heads sticking out of my pie?"

"Because it is an English Sardine pie, Dean." Lara replied, barely holding back her laughter.

"Yeah, fine. You got me. But I ain't eating his." Dean said wanting to sound angry, but the smile on his face said otherwise. Lara called in the waiter and had him wrap the pie to go while ordering Dean a Banana Butterscotch Cream pie instead that had his mouth watering at the sight of it. As for the fish pie, Lara said it will be amusing to Sam's reaction to it as well and Dean was on board with that prank in an instant.

When they returned to the hotel, Dean offered Lara to take the shower first. He stood there, dumbstruck for a minute when she came out, her hair loose and her skin glistering from the water wearing nothing but a fluffy hotel robe. She gave him an amused smile and cleared her throat, startling him back to reality. He excused himself, went into the bathroom and completely ignored his hard-on during the entire shower.

When he came out, Lara was fully dressed, her hair nearly tied and her focus solely on her phone as she sat in the same chair she did the night before. Dean ignored the fact that she probably wouldn't be sleeping again tonight, a point in the favour of her being an angel, and crawled into bed. At least the atmosphere around them was lighter then before.

Once again, Dean dreamt about hell, about Alistair and torture.

* * *

"I need to know what Lara is." Sam said as he barged in Mick's office the second day of Lara's and Dean's case. Mick glanced up at him and held his gaze for a few minutes before sighing.

"I can assure you, Sam, she is a friend. She is loyal to the cause."

"That's not an answer." Sam scoffed.

"Of course it's not. I just think that it should be Lara that tells the story, it is her life. It is... Complicated." Mick said hoping Sam would show some understanding.

"I don't care. There is something going on between her and Dean and he is alone with her on a case and I don't like it. I need to know what she is." Sam demanded and once again, Mick sighed, but eventually nodded. He reached and unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk, and then pulled out a substantial file. 

"You remember how we experimented with curing turned creatures? We have that vampire cure and thanks to you, we also had success in curing a newly turned werewolf. You must have read in the old archives about _Ritibus Sanandis_? (Curing rituals)" Mick asked and Sam nodded.

"You are also aware that some of them are not one hundred percent successful?" There was an ominous tone to his voice as he slid the file across the table. The folder had initials L. A. R. written across and the very first thing Sam saw when he opened it, was a picture of Lara in a cryogenic chamber. The file only refered to her as _the subject_ , but it was detailed in it's elaboration of exactly what was done to her. Sam sat there and skimmed through the reports, frowning every once in a while and gasping at the end.

"So she's a..." 

"Yes. Some called it a success, with her having regained some of her abilities in milder form, but the torment she had experienced, the psychological trauma... We still don't know how she pulled through, and how she managed to work through it, but she did. She is strong willed and quite capable, but with a strong sense of morality, kind of which I only saw once after." Mick said and Sam look up at him questioningly because he paused. "In you lads."

* * *

Dean felt something change, his nightmare, or a bad dream better said, shifted, but the smell of sulphur still lingered in his nostrils. He felt something around him move and as he slowly came to, he realized it was the bed and that Lara had crawled in to lie next to him. He could feel the warmth of her body, her smooth bare skin brushing against his and his hard-on was back, full force.

"What... What are you doing?" He managed to say, his voice rugged from the sleep.

"What does it look like?" She whispered sounding off, sounding... Amused?

"It looks like you are crawling into my bed, naked." Dean whispered back.

"I am not naked, I have my knickers and my top." Lara whispered back.

"Still doesn't explain what you are doing?" Dean asked, the absurdity of the conversation not escaping him.

"I am pretending to be snuggled next to you and sleeping."

"Why?"

"So that whoever is breaking in right now still assume we are a couple and not hunters."

"What!!"

"Shhhh. We want to get captured. Hotel rooms are body disposal grounds. If we act now, we might only take one or two of them. However, if they take us, we will know if there is more of them, a nest, perhaps? So pipe down and act cuddly." 

Dean had no time to respond to that, because whoever was at the door was now silently walking into their room. Dean didn't even hear them pick the lock. Soon enough there was a rag being pressed against his nose and mouth, the smell of chloroform filling his nostrils and he let the darkness overtake him, wondering why was it that he trusted Lara so much?

* * *

Dean came to with a groan. First thing he realized was that he was sitting in a chair, hands tied behind his back, but not to the chair. Stupid monsters, check. The next thing he noticed was that they were in a warehouse of some kind, and wasn't that typical? Across from him sat Lara, her head hanging like she was still out of it. Except Dean had a feeling she wasn't.

Three large guys walked in, all three grinning when they spotted Dean.

"Morning, sunshine. You woke up just in time for breakfast." The tallest one said, smirking at Dean. The hunter almost made a joke about him being the meal, but remembered he was supposed to be an innocent victim.

"What... What is going on? Where are we? Lara? ... Is she alright, what did you do to her?!" Dean tried to sound scared and concerned while the three monsters just laughed.

"Huh... What?" Lara pretended to come to, frowning and seemingly trying to focus. "Dean? What is going on?"

"It's gonna be alright sweetheart, everything is gonna be fine." He told her, then looked back at the men. "Please, we have money. We will pay you whatever you say, just let us go." Dean played along, trying to figure out if it was just these three idiots or was there more of them.

"Shut up. Both of you are gonna be our boss's next meal, and there is no money in the world that can save you." The tallest one spoke again.

"Mmmeal?" Dean asked looking bewildered. Ok, so at least one more monster, the head of the crowd.

"Yeah... And lucky for us, the boss always let's us have a taste..." The shortest one grinned, revealing a perfect line of sharp vampire fangs.

"I wanna start with her, she looks so delicious." The middle one said and the tallest one agreed. Within a second, both men were at Lara, lifting her of the chair and pressing themselves against her bare skin while she cried and begged the to stop. They took a moment to grind against her while the shortest guy made sure Dean watched as he pleaded for them to let her go, but secretly trying to get loose. Fear filled him that they might actually hurt her and he just felt a compelling need to pulverize them for even thinking that.

Dean's blood ran cold when a piercing scream filled the room as the two vampires sunk their teeth on each side of her neck. He yelled at them to stop, he broke character and said he will end them both, but they just drank and drank, completely unfazed by his words.

The middle height guy stopped first, slowly backing away and stammering along the way. The tallest one let go too, and Lara landed on her feet, standing strong even with the blood still dripping down her cleavage.

"What... what did you do to me?" The middle one asked, looking bewildered. The tallest guy's eyes widened as he realized what it was that was affecting them, making them queasy.

"That's... That's impossible." He said and Lara just smirked at him as she stalked towards him, while he backed away. Just as he reached a pole, she held her hands up and shoved him into it, impaling him on a rod, straight through the neck. With one powerful kick to his temple, his head rolled off his shoulders.

The middle one staggered backwards while the shortest one charged at Lara. Dean was able to yell out a warning and Lara quickly turned, grabbed the incoming vampire and used his momentum to going him over herself and across the room as she fell on her back. Dean just about freed himself when the middle one tried to hit her with a wooden plank, which she dodged and Dean grabbed, yanking it out of the vampire's grip and swinging it at his head, almost ripping it off. It took a bit more force then that, or a sharper object, like the shovel Lara picked up and brought down hard on the unconscious vampire.

In the mean time, the third one returned , and in one swift motion, Lara plucked the shovel out of the dead vampire, swung it around and hit the attacker, slicing his head across his cheeks.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked panting.

"What? I told you I know martial arts." Lara said and relieved the shortest vampire off his leather jacket, putting it on.

"You know that's not what I meant." He said and Lara paused. She looked him straight in the eyes as if she was begging him to drop it, but he didn't so she sighed deeply before she answered.

"Blood of the deceased."

"Deadman's blood. But how did you get that into your system?" Dean asked and she just stared at him, that pleading look still lingering in her eyes, waiting for him to figure it out. "Shit. It's a vessel. And you're a demon."

"Cured." She whispered. "But yes. I still possess some of the demonic powers." Lara said and raised her head high, waiting for his disgusted rejection, taunting him to speak his mind and tell her she is an abomination. And maybe he would have if it had been anyone else, but not her. He couldn't explain it, but he couldn't do that to her.

So Dean nodded and there was a flash of disbelief on her face before she covered it up. There were more pressing matters to attend to now.

"Ok, with these three dead, we know there is still the boss, we gotta see if he is around." Dean said and she nodded, both if them completely ignoring the elephant in the room.

On their way through the warehouse they came across five other vampires, and most of them were taken out by Lara. She could move just as fast as they could, and with her looking like a human, smelling like a human to them, they would underestimate her strength. And boy was she strong. She easily lifted two of them and threw them across the room at one point. 

Dean should have been wary of her, but for the most part, he was just impressed and... proud? He had no idea why he felt like that, but he did.

Finally they reached the boss's office. Lara was the first to barge in and he jumped out of his chair, hissing, his nails prolonging, his eyes going yellow before glowing grace blue. A Michael monster. But having Dean enter behind her threw the werewolf off, considering the last time he saw that face was when Michael made him drink his grace and Lara took the distraction and decapitated the monster with a papper-cutter she picked up along the way.

Lara was awfully silent as they watched the warehouse burn down, and remained quiet as they found their way back to the hotel. Dean missed her teasing tone and missed her little jokes and comebacks, and he didn't understand why she was silent. If nothing, Dean should act that way, brooding and deep in thought as to what to do with the fact that she herself was a monster a hunter like him would hunt and kill.

On their way back to Merry Ol' London, Lara reached and turned the radio on. Dean huffed as the DJ announced yet another Imagine Dragons song. But as he listened to the lyrics, it definitely struck a cord with him.

Oh, hush, my dear, it's been a difficult year

And terrors don't prey on innocent victims

Trust me, darling, trust me darling...

_She has feelings now. She must have done things as a demon that have an impact on her now, things she regrets. She isn't human, and she isn't a demon. She doesn't belong._

So look me in the eyes

Tell me what you see

Perfect paradise

Tearing at the seams

I wish I could escape

I don't wanna fake it

Wish I could erase it

Make your heart believe

But I'm a bad liar, bad liar

Now you know

Now you know

I'm a bad liar, bad liar

Now you know, you're free to go (go)

_She wanted to hide it because she didn't think I could handle it, she thought I would look at her differently. She wishes it wasn't so, but this is who she is, and all she wants is to be accepted._

Dean could certainly relate. He remembered how it felt after Sam cured him, the victims that fell under the first blade still haunt him to this day.

...

That I'm a bad liar, bad liar

Now you know, you're free to go

I can't breathe, I can't be

I can't be what you want me to be

Believe me, this one time

Believe me

I'm a bad liar, bad liar

Now you know

Now you know

That I'm a bad liar, bad liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know _what_ Lara is?  
> Can you guess _who_ she was? I drop a few hints in this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, who wants to take a guess as to what Lara really is? Blondie might already know, so don't go revealing it in the comments. Lol. I look forward to your answers and yourthoughts in the story.


End file.
